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Caldwell, Ida
Ida Caldwell, 88, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Thursday, April 26, 2012, at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 2, at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories, Cedar Rapids. Visitation will be held one hour before the service Wednesday at the chape. Burial will be held at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Ida Mae Rugger was born on July 14, 1923, in Maquoketa, Iowa, the daughter of Walter and Beulah (Rimmer) Rugger. She graduated from Maquoketa High School in 1941. She married Donald Caldwell of Cedar Rapids, on June 17, 1956, at the Congregational Church in Maquoketa. He preceded her in death on May 7, 1992.
Ida attended business school, following high school, and she lived on the East Coast for several years. Later she worked at B L Anderson, WMT and Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids. Ida also spent many hours volunteering for St. Luke's Hospital, Mercy Medical Center and the Czech Museum.
She attended St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Marion. After retirement, she and her husband traveled in their motor home and spent winters in Weslaco, Texas. They enjoyed playing cards, other games and hosting family celebrations. With good friends, they attended various athletic events, including Super Bowls, over the years. Ida was an enthusiastic member of a local Red Hat Chapter. She was good neighbor to many and loved attending Chicago Cubs games and making bus trips to casinos. She liked driving and being available to drive friends and neighbors to places they needed and wanted to go.
Survivors include her sons, J.D. Collins of Talkeetna, Alaska, and Nick Collins of Scottsville, Ky.; a sister, Phyllis Nissen of Maquoketa; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a niece; and several nephews; great-nieces; and great-nephews.
Ida was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two sisters and three brothers.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be made to your favorite charity.
Please leave an online condolence for the family at under obituaries.
Published in The Gazette April 29, 2012.
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